But, It's for Science
by W1ng3dOne
Summary: If Team Plasma couldn't force Pokemon to divulge all of their Potential, then surely those trainers that care for them do it right. Perhaps, it is time Colress finally catches on to the fact. In a new journey, the once refined statistician finds himself losing years off of his life to see just how the kids do it these days. Who knows, he may meet some interesting people too.
1. Encounter With an Idea

**But, It's For Science**

**Plasma Frigate, currently docked at the P2 Laboratory, Southeastern Unova.**

It didn't take Colress very long to realize that he was not the only one here anymore. A familiar presence permiated the ship's control room, so much so that he had no reason to turn around to identify the adventurous young teen behind him.

Mei.

"Hi, Colress, I just er...saw your ship here and wondered if you were...er...still here. I guess because I am talking to you right now, you could be...or I am...just imagining you are here."

"That I am..." Colress murmered, audible enough for Mei to pick it up, but just barely. "I must say, it is...quite curious of you to be all this way from the mainland."

"Yeah...well, you know me better than anyone else..." She replied, with an obvious tone of uneasiness. It occurred to the scientist that she was wondering if Team Plasma was here to plot a third comeback, and that the Plasma Frigate was still in operation for the purpose of doing no good whatsoever.

"Rosa. I have disbanded Team Plasma. I want the grunts that are still h- or that were still here a few days ago- to decide for themselves what they wish to do with their lives..."

"Really! That's great!" the visored-girl happily breathed in relief.

"I believe so. I told you back then that I had no care whether Team Plasma succeeded or failed in it's efforts as long as I got what I was trying to research. I still have not found that information, but quite frankly, I was not fond of Ghetsis anyways. Therefore, I am happy that you had come out on is quite a remarkable feat."

"Colress, I understand now...the only thing you had a commitment to was your desire to bringing out the strength in Pokemon. You remember Cheren right? He had the same mindset when he became a trainer. Maybe that's what you need to do. Drop the lab coat and explore..."

"I...I don't understand." Colress cut in, flustered. He turned to face his new-found advisor, and dully noted that her smile and confidence were indeed hard to defend against. Whatever her logic was, it was worth a listen, especially if it was helpful in achieving his goal.

"You don't have to bind yourself to machinery and sign a contract just to know where a Pokemon's potential is and how to extract it...People bring out their Pokemon's strength through their bonds. It's what a gym challenger does everyday. They believe their friends can best trainers who have perfected the art of bonding with Pokemon. You should attempt a gym challenge, or at the very least, go out and explore, and spend time with your own Pokemon. Then they can help you with the "research" you so desire."

The girl concluded with a warm smile and rushed into a very one sided embrace. He had not expected it, and it caused his normally pale skin to flash hotly in response. Mei giggled.

"Also, if you would ever find yourself a girlfriend, I'm sure they would be supportive of your efforts. I mean, hey, your so easy to break the ice with, even if you do try to front with professionalism!"

"I...I...er..I am legitimately convinced you are right, now if you would, please release me. I want you to be my first opponent on my journey. Should you win, I have this Master Ball that Ghetsis was saving...I want you to remember me by it..." The researcher had difficulty maneuvering his arm into his coat pocket due to the girl's limbs binding certain muscles into non-movement, but was able to fish the instrument of certain capture out of it's concealment. The diversion worked, and he was free to move about the control room.

"Oooooh, Master Ball...Shiny..."

"Yes. It is particularly clean."

"Go, Arcanine!"

Colress could only sigh. He began to realize that having a team of Steel-type Pokemon, while it was befitting of his style, was quite the hindrance when it came to trainers who were prepared. Still, he couldn't wait for the new experiment that was about to unfold.

"Magnemite! Let's do it all over again, old friend."

**Quick details here in case you didn't get them in the description**

**Colress will be travelling around the world as a Pokemon Trainer. He may find multiple places to conduct his research of Pokemon's strength. He may lose battles often, and he may find himself in the same sticky situations as a young trainer leaving Pallet, New Bark, Littleroot, Twinleaf, Nuvema, or Aspertia would.**

**He is also looking to find someone who understands him, and in doing so he may grow quite popular, attracting several people to his cause. In other words, he may pick up several people in what is known as a "Harem".**

**I've had a lot of fun reading the posts on this site, and I would love you all to reply with your thoughts on what is to come of this work, just as much as I would love to hear about this introduction. I hope you have as much fun reading as I do writing it.**

**Colress is by far, my favorite character from the BW2 series, followed distantly by Yancy. The only thing is, he is not a certain ship with anyone. Which will explain his "trolling" in this story.**


	2. Between a Rock and a Softer Face

**Please REVIEW. Thanks to the 14 viewers so far. I really do appreciate it, and there were a couple of gaffs with the beginning of the work, that I missed because I was too excited to release it. If Colress thinks he could defeat Mei with a Magne"mite"...he clearly should have just given her the Master Ball from the start. I also will stick with her Japanese name for this work.**

**Reversal Mountain, Northeastern Unova.**

"Interesting, I never expected a scientist to scale these heights. The lab coat looks great on you though."

Colress turned to face the source of the voice. A woman about his age, long blonde hair, in all black dress was scaling the heights with a Garchomp. The fearsome dragon-type reminded him that he needed to ditch his original team and the find Pokemon that were more adaptable to rugged terrain. The amused expression on the woman's face was clearly evident, but lacking judgment. She was different than the younger trainers he would have pegged to have adventured up the slopes. Different, but an icon nonetheless.

"How interesting. Your choice of mountain climbing methods is far superior to mine. May I ask who died?"

The trainer laughed in a short, professional manner. At the release of her heel at the Garchomp's back, the dragon kept pace with Colress, who was climbing up using only his own strength. It had been days since he had flown into Lentimas Town, his food supply was thinning, and the rocks grew more and more challenging to traverse. Pretty soon, he would have had to blow his cover and call in the Frigate, likely frightening the adobe village miles below. It may have been a blessing for Cynthia to have shown up.

"So, is this some part of a diet-and-exercise thing you have going on there, Professor?"

"No, If you want to find the Skarmory, you have to climb as high as they would. I don't remember the sherpa mentioning anything about a poor gentleman in distress up here."

"Haha, well, I did run into you slaving away by your lonesome." she retorted, fully invested in continuing the banter.

She had got him with that one. At least, for the meantime.

"I don't need a ride, but feel free to recall your Pokemon and join me."

"Fine, Good job, girl. Rest up" she replied curtly, leaping gracefully onto the ledge above the toiling researcher's, returning her ally to it's vestibule.

"I'm impressed, most guys my age would have kept up the smug trash-talk for as long as you have. Is something wrong?"

"Well, I am growing quite tired. Thanks for your concern. As for your comment, I have better things to do than pursue those who can be satisfied by others who have the time to lust over region darlings such as yourself." Colress snipped. All he cared about now as reaching a place where he could sit down and drink from his flask (of water).

"Yeah, those were the days, but every time I get brought up now, people talk about Dawn. She took must of my fan base." Cynthia muttered.

"That's...interesting."

"You think so?"

"Absolutely not. Sorry to disappoint." Colress smirked, adding with his sucker-punch dialogue a burst of intensity from his limbs, and now the pair were climbing neck and neck with each other. Cynthia smirked in return.

One-to-one.

"You gonna give me a name with that lip, or do you like it when I call you Professor?" she asked, focusing on the climbing. He could make out that she was beginning to lose her strength quickly, indicating that her Garchomp probably did most of the work. Still, he had to admit that she was a fighter.

He liked that.

"My name is Colress..."

"-like your complexion?"

"As if I haven't heard that one before. You might want to try again."

"Mine's Cynthia, but you already tipped your hand that you knew that.."

All Colress did was grunt in agreement.

The pair scoured the crags for what seemed like hours. Colress maintained his stamina in case his black-clad counterpart felt weary and needed a hand. However, just when it seemed that the forehead of her's was plastered in perspiration, she shook off her weaknesses and matched his determination. Much of the climb since the proper introductions had been wordless, and aside from the occasional heavy breath, lacking of noise in general. Finally, a pair of goals had been met.

The first, was the leveling out of the slope. He gave Cynthia the right of way in allowing her to reach it first. He wasn't about to let on that he did so in order to receive her hand in pulling him up as well, and masked the action poorly as trying to be a gentleman. She had read him like a book, to be quite honest.

The second was that there was a nest of the metallic bird Pokemon of the researcher's desires at that particular spot. The two wasted no time in preparing for battle. However, there were so many fowl to choose from, and Colress didn't know if any of them were willing to accompany him without a fight. He analyzed the brood of avians to draw this conclusion, he was not going to earn a fair fight by charging their home.

"Well, what do you see, Doc?"

"With all due respect, my name is not Doc, nor is it Professor. I hold no title. Only a vision."

"Fine, what is it Colress? I'll bite."

"Right now, it's to catch Skarmory."

"I can see that...Well, I heard from the grapevine that Skarmory are territorial birds."

"I already knew that." The professor dismissed, only to receive another burn from Cynthia.

"Just because you wear a labcoat, you feel entitled to dub yourself a genius. Yet, you have no idea to obtain your immediate goal."

Colress had remembered Cheren saying something like that a while back, then remembered that Cheren had the same looming vision that he was pursuing according to Mei. He figured that if he was going to reminded of that information often, he needed to pay the gym leader a visit and learn from him some.

Of course, he decided against it. The guy still needed to print his dissertation of his experience before Colress would be caught dead using them in his own forays of research.

"I don't suppose you know how to adequately engage a contest with one of the Pokemon here, do you?"

"Tell me what you seek, and you just might receive it." The former Sinnoh champion remarked. She seemed bored, revealing that once again, he had been reflecting to himself for extended amounts of time again.

He didn't know where to begin, but luckily, Cynthia was patient.


End file.
